MORGANTOWN, W.Va., September 19, 2023– The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has established the Fiscal year (FY) 2024 application batching date for the first FY 2024 application evaluation period for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and the Agricultural Management Assistance Program (AMA). Producers interested in being considered for financial assistance need to submit applications to NRCS by Friday, October 20, 2023.
EQIP is a voluntary conservation program that helps agricultural producers in a manner that promotes agricultural production and environmental quality as compatible goals. EQIP is the flagship conservation program that helps farmers and forest landowners integrate conservation into working lands. Through EQIP, agricultural producers receive technical and financial assistance to implement structural, vegetative and management conservation practices that optimize environmental benefits on working agricultural land.
CSP offers an opportunity for both agricultural and forest managers to enhance their operations while adopting conservation activities that will refine work already completed. CSP provides annual payments for actively managing, maintaining, and enhancing conservation activities on their agricultural or non-industrial private forestland (NIPF) operation. Practices and enhancements are available to improve resource concerns such as soil health, water quality, wildlife habitat, or reduce soil erosion. Whether you are looking to improve forest management or wildlife habitat, plant cover crops, install pollinator habitat, establish riparian buffers, or incorporate enhanced grazing management activities, CSP can help you meet those goals. CSP also encourages the adoption of new technologies and new management techniques, such as irrigation monitoring, precision agriculture applications, improved grazing systems, on-site carbon storage and planting for high carbon sequestration rate and new soil amendments to improve water quality.
The AMA program provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers to voluntarily address issues such as water management, irrigation systems, water quality, and erosion control by incorporating conservation into their farming operation and mitigate risk through production diversification.
EQIP, CSP and AMA are open to all eligible agricultural producers and submitted applications may be considered or evaluated in multiple funding opportunities.
While WV-NRCS has set the first FY 2024 application batching date for EQIP, CSP and AMA on October 20, 2023, NRCS accepts program applications year-round on a continuous basis. Application evaluations only take place during announced ranking periods. Applications received after a batching date will automatically be considered during a future funding cycle. For consideration in the first-round of FY 2024 funding, eligible landowners must submit their application no later than October 20, 2023. For more information, visit a local USDA Service Center or visit our website at http://www.wv.nrcs.usda.gov.